the cuter the outfit, the less i want to be here

T3 :: of Sherlock Holmes and the death of “Elementary, my dear Watson!”

I have not read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s seminal work since I was in single digits.

Yes, I was that precocious child who read Shakespeare and Doyle and Bronte when she was a mere elementary school child. Before you cry “savant”, I must confess that I also read Barbara Cartland novels, so my literary upbringing was certainly not as high-brow as my previous claim implies.

I must also confess that I read all the classics simply because a) I was an introverted child who hid behind the pages of a very thick book during a seemingly never-ending parade of family functions (Filipinos have loads of extended family), b) I only had these books available to me, the Philippines not being a hub for contemporary Western fiction and our school library being woefully under-stocked of such, and c) I was a middle child who craved attention and received it by being “the smart one”.

Thus, I remember reading Sherlock Holmes and feeling smugly confident that I enjoyed the tales at the time, but honestly, I couldn’t for the life of me tell you now which tale is which. Nowadays, my knowledge of the famous sleuth is rooted in film and television, Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch’s most recent interps of him first and foremost in my mind.

So as I choose Mr. Holmes as my Favorite Literary Man, I hope I am excused this egregious breach – choosing the movie over the book. I do promise to reread the book. It’s currently on my TBR pile at work as we speak. And I sincerely believe that the cinematic adaptations of his character have remained relatively true to the original work anyway. (Insert a silent “So there!” here).

Regardless of incarnation, when I think of Sherlock Holmes, I think competent and objective, severe and logical, brilliant and acerbic – all the adjectives I also think of when I’m invoking my most academically professional persona. And when I’m being academically professional, I wear my regulation crisp, white button up, some form of plaid, and a pair of comfortable yet take-no-prisoners footwear. Throw in a tie and a velvet coat for good measure, and you’ve got yourself a kick-ass ensemble, Victorian England style.

Full disclosure: the velvet jacket was a last-minute addition since the weather turned on me once again. Aly would’ve made a reliable Watson, but I think this week, she’s hit that pre-tween slump and we’re not buddies at the mo’. I’ll win her back with my irrepressible charm, though. ;p

I love your choice! I am also a fan of Mr. Holmes. I have read Doyle’s work more recently than you but agree that what draws me to the character lately are movies and books. I adore Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock!

Better than Jonny Lee Miller’s on Elementary, right? I must confess to feeling a supreme lack of connection with the American version of the show, primarily because of Watson’s being a woman. No offense to Lucy Liu, who I admire greatly. Cumberbatch ftw!

I got sucked in by ScarJo and Morgan Freeman. I should’ve known when I saw Luc Besson’s name flash across the screen. And now the hubs has yet another movie to hold over my head when I invoke “my turn to pick!” on movie weekends.

I think that’s exactly the issue. I can handle wibbly wobbly timey wimey when the film / show / book doesn’t take itself too seriously. But serious Sci Fi needs to make sense. Also, don’t even get me started on what they did to JGL’s face!

OMG, this outfit is so cute, I can’t even. I was just at the Sherlock Seattle convention this past weekend! And even though your look isn’t costume-y AT ALL, I still think you could have held your own in the cosplay world!

I love it when people say “I can’t even.” It’s so very au courant of you! You’d fit right in with my students! 😀 Ah, Seattle has all the cool conventions. Then again, we do have Anime Expo and Comicon down here. Not that I’ve gone to a con since the birth of my son. Sigh. Some day…then I can really go gang busters and cosplay for real!

See, author panels make me feel conflicted. On one hand, if I’m a huge fan and battle my way to the front, I feel a bit like a groupie, and not in the cool, Almost Famous kind of way. More like a tool. But if I’m not a huge fan and I sit placidly in the audience, then I feel like a poseur for taking up valuable space.

Ha! I said the exact same thing on your blog. It’s almost like we planned it, right? I feel like Whitney and Alex – Whalex? Lexney? – and maybe we should collaborate more in future T3s? Then again, our reading tastes are so different; I’m surprised you even like my novel. ;p

Oh, that’s brilliant! Both ideas, I mean! I have never read The Hundred Dresses but have now put it on my library queue because it sounds like the perfect book to read aloud to Aly, considering her current circumstances at school. Thanks!